The Flaming Lips vs. Richard Ashcroft

The Flaming Lips' Wayne Coyne might not seem like the type to go to fisticuffs with a fellow musician, but he's got a violent streak when it comes to former Verve frontman Richard Ashcroft. Coyne told NME that Ashcroft recently backed out of a Top of the Pops gig where the Lips were also scheduled to appear because he "sensed a punch-up backstage" with Coyne's band. "A lot of people would have jumped in and helped," said Coyne, if Ashcroft had picked a fight with the Lips frontman. Ashcroft has since rescheduled and is set to appear on the show on July 2. Coyne suggests Ashcroft, who was recently arrested for bursting into a youth center in an intoxicated state, is a "pompous dick." But Coyne isn't just full of bad vibes; in fact, he likes some of Ashcroft's music: "That's the power of music," he said. "Great songs can be made by such a worthless twat."

Talk: Who would win if these two went to blows? COMMENT

On the Web:
flaminglips.com
richardashcroft.com